High-frequency, high-current board-to-board connectors

Abstract

High-frequency, high-current board-to-board connectors. A board-to-board connector system includes connectors configured to mate with each other. Each connector includes signal terminals capable of satisfying PCIe Gen 4.0's signal transmission requirements at 16 Gps, and power terminals capable of carrying a current of 5 A. For a receptacle connector, the signal terminals include mating ends aligned in an X direction and intermediate portions movable in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction; and the power terminals include mating ends aligned in the Y direction and intermediate portions movable in both the X and Y directions. The receptacle housing includes outer walls surrounding a cavity, and an inner wall disposed in the cavity and separating the cavity into two slots. The plug housing include two inner walls configured to be inserted into the two slots in a mating direction a distance that can vary in a range of 0 to 0.6 mm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A receptacle connector comprising:
 a housing comprising a plurality of walls, and a cavity at least partially bounded by the plurality of walls; and   a plurality of terminals, each of the plurality of terminals comprising a mating end, a tail end extending out of the cavity of the housing, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end, the intermediate portion disposed in the cavity of the housing, the plurality of terminals comprising a plurality of first terminals and a plurality of second terminals, the mating ends of the plurality of first terminals disposed in the cavity, the mating ends of the plurality of second terminals extending out of the cavity of the housing, the intermediate portions of the plurality of first terminals movable in a first direction, and the intermediate portions of the plurality of second terminals movable in both the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.   
     
     
         2 . The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of first terminals comprises a plurality of curved segments each curving in the first direction; and   each of the plurality of second terminals comprises a first curved segment curving in the second direction, and a second curved segment curving in the first direction.   
     
     
         3 . The receptacle connector of  claim 2 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of curved segments of the plurality of first terminals bends at an obtuse angle.   
     
     
         4 . The receptacle connector of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first curved segment of each of the plurality of second terminals bends at an obtuse angle; and   the second curved segment of each of the plurality of second terminals bends at a right angle.   
     
     
         5 . The receptacle connector of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the intermediate portion of each of the plurality of second terminals comprises one or more gaps along its length direction.   
     
     
         6 . The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of first terminals are configured for signal transmission; and   the mating ends of the plurality of first terminals are aligned in the second direction.   
     
     
         7 . The receptacle connector of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the plurality of second terminals are configured for power transmission; and   the mating ends of the plurality of second terminals are aligned in the first direction.   
     
     
         8 . The receptacle connector of  claim 7 , wherein:
 a width of a gap between adjacent first terminals of the plurality of first terminals is less than a thickness of the plurality of first terminals.   
     
     
         9 . The receptacle connector of  claim 8 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of first terminals is capable of satisfying PCIe Gen 4.0's signal transmission requirements at 16 Gps;   each of the plurality of second terminals is capable of carrying a current of 5 A; and   each of the plurality of terminals is movable in a range of −0.8 mm to +0.8 mm in the first direction.   
     
     
         10 . The receptacle connector of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the plurality of first terminals are a first plurality of first terminals;   the plurality of second terminals are a first plurality of second terminals;   the plurality of terminals comprise a second plurality of first terminals and a second plurality of second terminals;   the plurality of walls of the housing are a plurality of outer walls;   the housing comprises an inner wall disposed in the cavity, the inner wall comprising two ends and two sides joining the two ends;   the mating ends of the first and second plurality of first terminals are disposed along the two sides of the inner wall; and   the mating ends of the first and second plurality of second terminals are disposed outside the two ends of the inner wall, respectively.   
     
     
         11 . A plug connector comprising:
 a housing comprising first and second outer walls facing each other, third and fourth outer walls joining the first and second outer walls and facing each other, a cavity at least partially bounded by the first, second, third and fourth outer walls, and first and second inner walls disposed in the cavity, the cavity comprising a first slot between the first inner wall and the first outer wall, a second slot between the first inner wall and the second inner wall, and a third slot between the second inner wall and the second outer wall; and   a plurality of terminals, each of the plurality of terminals comprising a mating end disposed in the second slot of the cavity and along the first inner wall, a tail end extending out of the cavity of the housing, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end.   
     
     
         12 . The plug connector of  claim 11 , wherein:
 each of the first, second, and third slots extend in a first direction; and   the cavity comprises fourth and fifth slots disposed on opposite sides of the first, second, and third slots, each of the fourth and fifth slots extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.   
     
     
         13 . The plug connector of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the plurality of terminals are a plurality of first terminals; and   the plug connector comprises a plurality of second terminals, each of the plurality of second terminals comprising a mating end disposed in the fourth slot and along the third outer wall, a tail end extending out of the cavity of the housing, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end.   
     
     
         14 . The plug connector of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the plurality of first terminals are configured for signal transmission;   the mating ends of the plurality of first terminals are aligned in the first direction;   the plurality of second terminals are configured for power transmission; and   the mating ends of the plurality of second terminals are aligned in the second direction.   
     
     
         15 . The plug connector of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the plurality of first terminals are a first plurality of first terminals;   the plurality of second terminals are a first plurality of second terminals; and   the plug connector comprises a second plurality of first terminals and a second plurality of second terminals, each of the second plurality of first terminals comprising a mating end disposed in the second slot of the cavity and along the second inner wall, each of the plurality of second terminals comprising a mating end disposed in the fifth slot and along the fourth outer wall.   
     
     
         16 . The plug connector of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the first inner wall is connected to the first outer wall at a bottom of the first slot and corresponding to intermediate portions of the first plurality of first terminals; and   the second inner wall is connected to the second outer wall at a bottom of the second slot and corresponding to intermediate portions of the second plurality of first terminals.   
     
     
         17 . A board-to-board connector system, comprising:
 a receptacle connector comprising:
 a receptacle housing comprising first and second outer walls facing each other, third and fourth outer walls joining the first and second outer walls and facing each other, an inner wall, a first slot between the first outer wall and the inner wall, and a second slot between the second outer wall and the inner wall; and 
   a plug connector comprising:
 a plug housing comprising a plurality of outer walls configured to be disposed outside the outer walls of the receptacle connector, and first and second inner walls configured to insert into the first and second slots of the receptacle connector in a mating direction a distance that can vary in a range of 0 to 0.6 mm. 
   
     
     
         18 . The board-to-board connector system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the plug housing comprise a first slot between the first and second inner walls and elongated in a first direction, second and third slots on opposite sides of the first slot and elongated in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;   the inner wall of the receptacle housing is configured to be disposed in the first slot of the plug housing; and   the third and fourth outer walls are configured to be disposed in the second and third slots of the plug housing, respectively.   
     
     
         19 . The board-to-board connector system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the plug connector comprises a plurality of plug signal terminals and plurality of plug power terminals, each of the plurality of plug signal terminals comprising a mating end disposed in the first slot and along the first or second inner wall, each of the plurality of plug power terminals comprising a mating end disposed in the second or third slots.   
     
     
         20 . The board-to-board connector system of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the receptacle connector comprises a plurality of receptacle signal terminals and a plurality of receptacle power terminals, each of the plurality of receptacle signal terminals comprising a mating end disposed on a side of the inner wall, each of the plurality of receptacle power terminals comprising a mating end disposed outside the third or fourth outer walls;   intermediate portions of the plurality of receptacle signal terminals are movable in the second direction; and   intermediate portions of the plurality of receptacle power terminals are movable in both the first direction and the second direction.